CITY fans can look ahead to the campaign with optimism with goalkeeper Paul Bastock between the sticks again and the impressive back four staying together. Midfielders Jonathan Hunt and Paul Bruce are set to remain at the club, and attackers Lee Clarke

CITY fans can look ahead to the campaign with optimism with goalkeeper Paul Bastock between the sticks again and the impressive back four staying together. Midfielders Jonathan Hunt and Paul Bruce are set to remain at the club, and attackers Lee Clarke, Simon Martin and Paul Hakim are also committed to City.

Boss Steve Castle is still waiting on the futures of winger Hassan Sulaiman and striker Akanni-Sunday Wasiu and will run the rule over a number of potential signings at training. Castle has the crucial stability that was missing last season as City fell apart under then boss Ritchie Hanlon. Castle said: "I believe that having a good spine to your team is vital. I would struggle to get a better goalkeeper at this level than Paul Bastock and we had many good performances at the back end of last season from the whole of the back four. They are young players and they are up for it. James Fisher is young and Scott Cousins although he seems to have been around for a long while is only 24. Ben Martin and Ryan Frater are the same age."

Blue Square South fixtures for 2008/09 will be released on Friday, July 4. City play their first friendly match of the summer at Welwyn Garden City on Wednesday, July 9.